This is another premature exit for  Alix Collombon  au  P2 of Asuncion The French number 1 was eliminated in the round of 32 by the Spanish pair  Marta Talaván / Sofía Saiz  on the score of  6 / 4 6 / 1 This defeat confirms the Frenchwoman's current difficulties in stringing together victories on the circuit. Premier Padel this season.

But beyond the Collombon case, another reality is striking: today, the Lyonnaise remains virtually the only French representative regularly present in the main draws of the major circuit.  This situation inevitably raises questions about the current position of French men and women at the highest global level. 

 Collombon and Montes have only reached the round of 16 in six tournaments. 

Since his separation from  Araceli Martinez  Last season — a separation that was not really anticipated on Alix Collombon's side — the Frenchwoman had to rebuild a new project.

As has often been the case in her career, she has chosen to bet on a young player with high potential:  Jana Montes .

The Franco-Spanish pair's beginnings had shown great promise. At the end of last season, several Round of 16 appearances confirmed the duo's progress. And above all, there was that title at the  FIP Silver of Caen , won at the beginning of the year, which seemed ideal to kick-start their season.

But since then, the momentum has really struggled to take off.

Of the six tournaments Premier Padel contested this season,  Collombon / Montes  have only reached the round of 16 once. That was in  Gijón , at the very beginning of the season.

In a women's circuit where the level of competition is constantly rising, the pair is still struggling to find its place among the world's best teams. Their performances remain solid on the FIP circuit, but the gap with the top sixteen pairs on the circuit remains significant. Premier Padel remains important.

There is still one hurdle to overcome before Alix Collombon can more regularly participate in the weekends of major tournaments.

 Godallier confirms his form in the women's category, while the men are still far behind. 

Behind Alix Collombon, French successes remain limited on the circuit Premier PadelEven if it's not all negative.

In the ladies,  Léa Godallier  even made a rather convincing start to the season alongside the Italian  Giorgia Marchetti The pair reached the round of 16 on  four of the five tournaments Premier Padel  that she competed in this season.

The Frenchwoman has shown remarkable consistency, seemingly finding a certain stability with her Italian partner. Now she needs to maintain this level of performance and reach the next level against the very best pairs on the circuit.

For men, the situation is more complicated.

France's best performance in the standings this season so far remains the round of 16 achieved by  Dylan Guichard  and the Belgian  Clement Geens  when  Brussels P2 .

We will also remember the feat achieved by  Bastien Blanqué  et  Dylan Guichard  in Riyadh, where the French had managed to take a set from the world number 1  Tapia / Coello  at the start of the season. A remarkable performance, but one that remains too isolated to speak of a real establishment at the highest level.

 French people still in a transition phase 

Several French players are currently at pivotal points in their development.

The return to competition of  Thomas Leygue  takes a little longer than expected, while  Johan Bergeron  et  Timeo Fonteny  are only just beginning their transition to the circuit Premier Padel.

The two Frenchmen have also shown some interesting things recently, reaching the round of 32 at the  P2 of Newgiza where they seriously disrupted  Juan Tello  et  Eduardo Alonso  before bowing.

These are encouraging performances, but they also illustrate the difficulty of the transition from the FIP circuit to the main draws. Premier Padel.

Today, the world of padel is becoming increasingly competitive, physical, and demanding. Sustaining a place in the world's top 16 now requires tremendous consistency, stable projects, and the ability to perform almost every week against the best pairs in the world.

On the French side, some are stagnating, while others are progressing little by little and seem to be on the right track. But for now, we'll have to wait a while longer before seeing a Frenchman or woman establish themselves permanently among the world's elite in padel.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!